Return to the Office Part 3: How to Best Utilize IT Consulting Services

In Part Three of our series, we help organizations identify why IT consulting services are an important part of the return to the office.

Over the past few months, we have seen a significant increase in assessment-related work that helps organizations understand their current state and specific needs, while identifying critical issues and building a strategic roadmap for the future. Much of our assessment work is focused on cyber security, helping businesses maintain a strong security posture in direct response to the increase in breaches and attacks over the last year.

Now, as organizations help employees safely return to the office while bolstering security around hybrid work, it’s worth considering an external, independent review by Thrive’s consulting team to ensure end users can work securely no matter their location. All businesses should have a formal security program which includes a long-term strategic plan that the entire organization understands and can implement appropriately.

“What Is Your Organization’s Cyber Security Posture?”

This is a pivotal question that we pose to every organization. If it can’t be answered immediately, or at minimum in some general context, it is an indicator of risk and that assessment should likely be considered in the near future. When a formal security program has not been developed and is not backed by a recognized security framework, it is difficult to successfully protect the organization from the harmful impacts of cyber threats. In the assessment phase, we use automated tools combined with Thrive’s qualified consultants to understand your current assets, infrastructure, and environment, in an effort to provide specific, prioritized recommendations for the future.

Ongoing validation and review of your cyber security program is critical, particularly as employees return to the office and new cyber threats appear almost daily. If you have adjusted to remote work, was that strategic, or were temporary solutions used without consideration for the long term? As some workers return to the office, it will once again be time to update your security program with specific consideration for mobile devices, and remote management of company assets.

Written policies and procedures are the foundation of every formal security program. This document should be comprehensive and align with the organization’s goals as well as with a recognized security framework. The need for the continual validation and testing of policies and procedures, including disaster recovery and incident response plans, cannot be emphasized enough. This testing leads to predictable recovery and response plans and best positions the organization to minimize the impacts of a security or other business impacting event.

The Benefits of Outsourcing IT

With nearly every business we engage, we often find there are missing key components or applications. The return to the office requires a review of the current technology stack, because no single tool will provide a solution for end users. A comprehensive approach includes multiple tools and processes, from backup and disaster recovery, to endpoint protection and beyond.

Beyond the initial assessment, it’s suggested that additional third-party assessments are performed at least every 36 months in addition to internal security review meetings that should take place at least quarterly. This ensures the environment remains scalable, reliable, and secure. With constant cyber security threats and vulnerabilities, any issue that leaves the door open for a hacker or breach can cause problems.

Having conducted many assessments, it’s clear that outsourcing management of risk-mitigating platforms to an experienced team like Thrive can benefit your organization. We will identify any potential issues and create the necessary roadmap that can be used by board members, CIOs, CTOs, and other members of the IT team.

Whether it’s a short or long-term IT project, our experts will ensure all of your strategic objectives are met, addressing gaps and providing comprehensive solutions and consultative services based on your needs. Get in touch with Thrive to learn more about our IT consulting services!